05/07/2025
A baby platypus is one of the most unique and adorable creatures on Earth—but also one of the rarest to ever be seen!
Here’s everything you should know about this incredible animal:
🐣 What is a Baby Platypus Called?
It’s called a puggle—just like a baby echidna!
However, some scientists simply refer to it as a “young” or “juvenile” platypus, since “puggle” isn't officially recognized for this species.
🥚 How Are They Born?
The platypus is one of only two mammals that lay eggs (the other being the echidna).
A mother platypus lays 1–3 leathery eggs in a nesting burrow.
She incubates them with her body for about 10 days.
🍼 What Do They Look Like?
They hatch blind, hairless, and tiny, around the size of a jellybean.
Baby platypuses nurse without nipples—milk seeps through pores in the mother's skin and pools on grooves where the baby laps it up.
🌱 Growth and Development
For the first few months, the baby stays inside the burrow, completely dependent on the mother.
By 3–4 months, it starts emerging from the nest, growing its iconic bill, webbed feet, and dense waterproof fur.
🦆 Why Are They So Special?
Platypuses are monotremes (egg-laying mammals), making them extremely rare.
A baby platypus grows into an animal that:
Detects prey with electroreception.
Swims with webbed feet like a duck.
Has a venomous spur if male.
And looks like a mashup of a duck, beaver, and otter!
